ALMOST PRISONERS

Waikato Times, Volume 124, Issue 20784, 20 April 1939, Page 7

ALMOST PRISONERS

SAFETY OF ROYALTIES TRAIN A FORT PRECAUTIONS AGA&ST I.R.A. (Times Air Mail Service) LONDON, March 22. Police precautions due to the I.R.A. bombing outrages will make the Kine and Queen almost prisoners in the royal train each evening during their three-day “no speechmaking'’ tour of the north-east next week, comments the special correspondent of the Daily Mirror. Once the official functions of each day are over, they will return to the train, which will be drawn up on the now disused Newcastle-Ponteland passenger line near Ponteland station. And through the night specially picked Scotland Yard officers and detectives from the Northumberland County, Newcastle and L.N.E.R. forces will guard them. The scope of the precautions—unparalleled for the safety of a King of Britain visiting the provinces of his own country—can be gathered from the fact that detectives have watched the relaying of every yard of travel and every piece of asphalt at the place where the train will stay each night. Normally, members of the Royal Family visiting the north-east stay at one of the great castles, Lambton, Lumlev or Alnwick, but a police official said yesterday that their Majesties would be better guarded in the train.